Jatti Thayamma - New References on Her Art and Life and it’s Significance on Bharatanatyam History

Bindu S. Rao

Bharata Natya is considered as the origin from the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, specifically Thanjavur.  But, in Karnataka, the art of Bharata Natya had its own identity and tradition.  Mysore state became a centrestage for innumerous cultural activities. During Krishnaraja Wodeyar's III reign (1831-1868) a distinct style began to emerge which is now known as `Mysore Style' of BharataNatya. During the rule of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the dance was in its peak.  His greatness can be seen in abolishment of Devadasis practice way back in 1909, well before it was banned in Madras, and parallelly encouraging and flourishing Classical Music and Bharatanatya in Mysore State.  Four distinct traditions of Mysore Bani existed during that time, viz Muguru tradition, Nanjangud tradition, Mysore tradition, Kolar tradition, with stalwarts behind their prominence.  The gurukul system of education was strictly followed in all these traditions.  Jatti Thayamma was one such stalwart, hailing from a wrestler’s family, but made great contributions to BharataNatya in the pre-Independence era of the 19^th and 20^th Century.  Jatti Thayamma actively danced for almost 75 years of her life, and this is one of the greatest achievements.  Jatti Thayamma was not a devadasi [1].  This paper is dedicated to the Art and Life of Jatti Thayamma, to clear the myth about her being told to be a devadasi and provide some new interesting aspects that were not previously known, including her caste (unknown earlier), and the way it affects the history of Bharatanatyam itself.